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With his family nearby — daughter Briella in his arms, his wife, Jen and daughter Brexli just to the right of him — a happy Bret Bielema walks off a crowded Memorial Stadium field after his Illini beat Michigan 21-7 on Oct. 19. On Christmas, Bielema and the Illini football program will depart for Orlando, Fla., ahead of the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.
Three reasons we love sports today
➜ 1. Christmas is a day away, and the Illinois football team, after presumably opening up some gifts, will depart on Christmas for Orlando, Fla. Prep for the Citrus Bowl has been going on in earnest the past two weeks for the Illini (9-3), who will get acquainted with central Florida well before the Dec. 31 kickoff against South Carolina (9-3) at Camping World Stadium.
➜ 2. Nothing beats high school holiday basketball tournaments. Check out area ones in Monticello, Broadlands, Bismarck and Kansas, among other locales throughout the state, starting on Thursday.
➜ 3. The News-Gazette’s final All-Area package from the high school fall sports season will run this Saturday and it’s a doozy that’ll take up five pages: football.
Alexa Jamison, left, and the Salt Fork girls’ basketball team has won its first 12 games this season.
Numbers game: 3
area high school basketball teams who go into Christmas with undefeated records. On the boys’ side, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (11-0) and Tuscola (10-0) are the last ones standing, while Salt Fork (12-0) is the only girls’ team without a loss still.
Diddy Robinson and the Danville boys’ basketball team opens play in the 93rd Pontiac Holiday Tournament on Thursday afternoon against Benet.
Crowd control
Three events I’m paying attention to
➜ 1. Pontiac Holiday Tournament. The Danville boys’ basketball team will try to pull an upset on Thursday afternoon when it plays Benet in the first round of the 93rd annual event considered the crown jewel of holiday tournaments in Illinois.
➜ 2. State Farm Holiday Classic. Boys’ basketball teams from Mahomet-Seymour and St. Joseph-Ogden, along with the SJ-O girls’ basketball team, tip off their stay in Bloomington-Normal on Thursday.
➜ 2. Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic. The Centennial boys’ basketball team begins its holiday tournament stay against Belvidere at 6 p.m. Thursday in Teutopolis, while Unity plays Lutheran North (Mo.) at 3 p.m. Thursday in Effingham.
Champaign Central girls’ basketball coach Kris Bell takes a selfie inside Combes Gym.
Coach’s corner
Three questions with Champaign Central girls’ basketball coach Kris Bell, whose Maroons play Friday against Teutopolis and Marion at the Coles County Holiday Tournament in Charleston:
➜ 1. My favorite sports team is … I’m still a fan of the Chicago Bulls in the Michael Jordan era, but if I had to pick a team in this generation, I’ll go with the Golden State Warriors.
➜ 2. Three coaches I’d like to have dinner with are … Mike Krzyzewski, Eric Spoelstra and Hubie Brown.
➜ 3. My biggest pet peeve is … when people sneeze around me and don’t cover up.